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Times and Seasons, 15 March 1842

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation *Times and Seasons, 15 March 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 March 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 March 1842 *Letter to John C. Bennett, 7 March 1842 *Letter from John C. Bennett, 8 March 1842 *Letter from Lyman O. Littlefield, 14 March 1842 *Letter from Richard Savary, 2 February 1842
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a thousand fold in giving, for it receives life instead of existence. What? wouldest thou be the only one that takes but gives not? Shall the great stream of blessing end in thee? Wouldest thou have this stream of blessing lost in thy dry sand, and not restore to the ocean what it receives from it? Oh, hast thou duly considered that thou art nothing, if thou art only for thyself? Thou art something when thou art something for another; thou hast nothing as long as thou hast it only for thyself; thou possessest it only as thou hast it for another. The penny that thou hoardest is not thine; it is thine only when thou spendest it in blessing; and then, when thou hast once tasted the bliss of giving; the bliss of feeding the hungry, of clothing the naked, of comforting the sick, of rejoicing the miserable, of caring for the destitute; then canst thou rejoice in the high calling with which God has called thee; to be a blessing with all thou hast, then wilt thou readily give all thou hast to purchase a moment of such bliss. Why should God give thee more than is absolutely necessary for thee, but that he may make thee a distributor of his blessings to others, and wilt thou grasp with thine hand that which is not thine own? Our wise men have, therefore named this active benevolence in giving with the lovely name of [4 Hebrew characters: ZDQH] (i. e. righteousness,) for tsaadekau is essential righteousness, which gives to every thing that which God requires of it; and as tsaadekau, when applied to God, denotes his charitable righteousness, which gives to man, not that which he deserves, but that which he can bear; so, when applied to man it denotes that charitable righteousness which makes the love of God, rather than the right of another, the ground of assisting him.”
On alms giving he says, “there are eight degrees in alms giving:
1st The highest and first is, to assist the impoverished by gifts, loans, or providing them with employment so that they may become able to take care of themselves and have no need to beg.
2d. It is a less degree to give to the poor in such a way that the giver knows who receives his bounty, and the receiver does not know from whom the bounty comes. Giving to public charities when it is known that those charities are managed with wisdom and honesty comes very near this degree of alms giving.
3d. It is still less when the giver knows to whom he gives, and the receiver, from whom the bounty comes.
4th. It is still less when the poor knows who gives, but the giver knows not who receives.
5th. It is still less to give to the poor without being asked
6th. Still less when asked to give what is necessary.
7th. Still less to give what is necessary in a kind manner.
8th. The least of all is to give in an unkind manner.
Charity that sheweth itself in action, is more, incomparably more than giving money. Money is an external thing, but in this thou layest out that which is most noble, that which is the best thou hast.—Thy understanding, thy word, thy deed, thy ability, all that thou art as an offering on the altar of God, for the welfare of the brethren. In almsgiving we give that from which blessings may spring; but in this we make the plant of blessing to grow and blossom; we create the health, the joy, the peace, the prosperity, the welfare of our neighbor. If we would see a man who is like unto our heavenly Father, so let us behold one, who full of love, full of the divine will, himself prepares bread for the hungry, becomes a father to the orphans, for whom he cares, whom he educates; visits the sick, clothes the naked, comforts the suffering, buries the dead, advises the inexperienced, reconciles the contending, and every where labours in word and deed, to relieve every pain, to heal every sorrow, and dry every tear. And when such an example has excited us, and we feel that we are called to such blessedness, so step forward, let us devote ourselves, in the presence of God, with every noble faculty he has given us, to such acts of love, for the welfare of his children.—-[Jewish Intelligencer.
 
————
Editorial Note
In another editorial passage the editor briefly prefaced the first of a series of narrative accounts, titled “History of Joseph Smith,” describing the genesis of the church. Covering some of the same ground as the brief history printed in the previous issue, the historical extract referenced in this editorial recounted JS’s confusion over the competing religious denominations in western during the early 1820s as well as his decision to pray to God to know which church he should join. The extract was originally copied from a portion of the history JS initiated in 1838 and was later canonized as scripture by the church in 1880.
☞ In the last number I gave a brief history of the rise and progress of the , I now enter more particularly into that history, and extract from my journal.
JOSEPH SMITH.
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil designing persons in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, all of which have been [p. 726]
a thousand fold in giving, for it receives life instead of existence. What? wouldest thou be the only one that takes but gives not? Shall the great stream of blessing end in thee? Wouldest thou have this stream of blessing lost in thy dry sand, and not restore to the ocean what it receives from it? Oh, hast thou duly considered that thou art nothing, if thou art only for thyself? Thou art something when thou art something for another; thou hast nothing as long as thou hast it only for thyself; thou possessest it only as thou hast it for another. The penny that thou hoardest is not thine; it is thine only when thou spendest it in blessing; and then, when thou hast once tasted the bliss of giving; the bliss of feeding the hungry, of clothing the naked, of comforting the sick, of rejoicing the miserable, of caring for the destitute; then canst thou rejoice in the high calling with which God has called thee; to be a blessing with all thou hast, then wilt thou readily give all thou hast to purchase a moment of such bliss. Why should God give thee more than is absolutely necessary for thee, but that he may make thee a distributor of his blessings to others, and wilt thou grasp with thine hand that which is not thine own? Our wise men have, therefore named this active benevolence in giving with the lovely name of [4 Hebrew characters: ZDQH] (i. e. righteousness,) for tsaadekau is essential righteousness, which gives to every thing that which God requires of it; and as tsaadekau, when applied to God, denotes his charitable righteousness, which gives to man, not that which he deserves, but that which he can bear; so, when applied to man it denotes that charitable righteousness which makes the love of God, rather than the right of another, the ground of assisting him.”
On alms giving he says, “there are eight degrees in alms giving:
1st The highest and first is, to assist the impoverished by gifts, loans, or providing them with employment so that they may become able to take care of themselves and have no need to beg.
2d. It is a less degree to give to the poor in such a way that the giver knows who receives his bounty, and the receiver does not know from whom the bounty comes. Giving to public charities when it is known that those charities are managed with wisdom and honesty comes very near this degree of alms giving.
3d. It is still less when the giver knows to whom he gives, and the receiver, from whom the bounty comes.
4th. It is still less when the poor knows who gives, but the giver knows not who receives.
5th. It is still less to give to the poor without being asked
6th. Still less when asked to give what is necessary.
7th. Still less to give what is necessary in a kind manner.
8th. The least of all is to give in an unkind manner.
Charity that sheweth itself in action, is more, incomparably more than giving money. Money is an external thing, but in this thou layest out that which is most noble, that which is the best thou hast.—Thy understanding, thy word, thy deed, thy ability, all that thou art as an offering on the altar of God, for the welfare of the brethren. In almsgiving we give that from which blessings may spring; but in this we make the plant of blessing to grow and blossom; we create the health, the joy, the peace, the prosperity, the welfare of our neighbor. If we would see a man who is like unto our heavenly Father, so let us behold one, who full of love, full of the divine will, himself prepares bread for the hungry, becomes a father to the orphans, for whom he cares, whom he educates; visits the sick, clothes the naked, comforts the suffering, buries the dead, advises the inexperienced, reconciles the contending, and every where labours in word and deed, to relieve every pain, to heal every sorrow, and dry every tear. And when such an example has excited us, and we feel that we are called to such blessedness, so step forward, let us devote ourselves, in the presence of God, with every noble faculty he has given us, to such acts of love, for the welfare of his children.—-[Jewish Intelligencer.
 
————
Editorial Note
In another editorial passage the editor briefly prefaced the first of a series of narrative accounts, titled “History of Joseph Smith,” describing the genesis of the church. Covering some of the same ground as the brief history printed in the previous issue, the historical extract referenced in this editorial recounted JS’s confusion over the competing religious denominations in western during the early 1820s as well as his decision to pray to God to know which church he should join. The extract was originally copied from a portion of the history JS initiated in 1838 and was later canonized as scripture by the church in 1880.
☞ In the last number I gave a brief history of the rise and progress of the , I now enter more particularly into that history, and extract from my journal.
JOSEPH SMITH.
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil designing persons in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, all of which have been [p. 726]
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